This invention relates to an infrared signal transmitter, and more particularly to such a transmitter which is a self-contained unit capable of generating a multidirectional pattern of infrared signals.
Many people, especially as the population grows older, suffer from some form of hearing disability. For those with partial hearing loss, or hearing impairment, it is possible through sound amplification and signal processing devices to improve their ability to hear, to discriminate sounds, and to comprehend speech.
The best known devices to aid hearing are the traditional hearing aids. Such aids pick up sound waves through a microphone and convert the sound waves into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is amplified, thus increasing the signal strength, and is transmitted to the ear of the user by a small loudspeaker through an ear mold that fits in the user's ear canal. The system is powered by a small battery. There are many types of hearing aids; the four main types being (1) in the ear, (2) behind the ear; (3) in the canal; and (4) body aids.
Hearing aids may be effective for one-to-one communication and in quiet areas. However, in noisy or varied acoustical environments and open areas, such as a conference or classroom setting, the effectiveness of hearing aids decreases since sound diminishes with distance and background noises may swamp the desired sounds. To overcome such problems generated by acoustical noise, distortion and distance diminishing, systems utilizing amplification and infrared transmission have been developed.
Such infrared systems generally have employed an external microphone, an amplifier, and an array of infrared emitting diodes. The microphone placed near the sound source converts the sound waves into electrical signals which are amplified. Once amplified the electrical signal is transmitted by infrared light to a receiver worn by the user. This receiver converts the received infrared signal back into sound waves and channels them to the user either through a hearing aid or through an ear plug or earphone. With the microphone close to the desired sound source, the sound level is much higher than the background noise, enabling the user to receive the desired sounds with greater volume and clarity.
Problems with existing infrared transmitting systems for such use are their size and/or bulk, complexity of installation, and the fact that they are not self-contained in one package for ease of portability and use. Further, prior infrared transmitting systems generally have had only a flat panel infrared diode-emitting system which is directed only in one direction, limiting receivers to a specific narrow region into which infrared signals are being transmitted.
Not only are such prior devices generally only flat panel displays, which provide only unidirectional transmission of signals, but they do not provide for ease of interchangeability of transmitted signal arrays and transmitting channels.
Due to the size, bulk, and complexity of prior systems they generally are set up either permanently or specifically for a single site, for example, a church, auditorium or conference room, and are not easily adapted to a variety of uses.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel infrared signal transmitter comprising a signal generator and a plurality of infrared transmitting elements arrayed to transmit infrared signals in a multidirectional pattern.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel infrared signal transmitter having a signal generator, and a transmitter head, which are removably connected to each other to permit exchange of transmitter head configurations to provide a plurality of desired directional arrays of infrared signals.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel infrared signal transmitter which includes a plurality of transmitting elements arranged to transmit signals in a multidirectional pattern, wherein the elements generally are unidirectional in their transmission and they are arrayed with their respective transmitting axes disposed at angles relative to each other.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel infrared signal transmitter which is a self-contained portable unit requiring minimal user set-up and no external electrical connections, which is easily and economically produced and provides high quality infrared signal transmission.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel infrared transmitter which includes a housing in which a signal generator is housed, a mount on which a plurality of multidirected transmitting elements are secured, and plug-in connections on the housing and mount, respectively, through which plug-in connections the mount is removably connected to the housing and the transmitting elements are operatively connected to the signal generator permitting easy connection and disconnection between the signal generator and transmitter elements for ease of interchangeability of a variety of multidirectional arrays of transmitter elements.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an infrared transmitter capable of amplifying and transmitting signals to an infrared signal receiver in a hearing device for the hearing impaired which transmitter includes a housing, a signal generator including a microphone and amplifier, a mount, a plurality of infrared transmitting elements operatively secured to the mount for transmitting signals received from the signal generator, an infrared transparent protective cover on the mount disposed over the transmitting elements and substantially rigid mating plug-in connector parts secured to the housing and mount, respectively, through which connector parts the mount is removably mounted on the housing and the transmitter elements are operatively connected to the signal generator to receive signals therefrom. This produces a convenient self-contained unit which has easily interchangeable transmitting elements to allow a variety of multidirectional arrays of infrared signal transmissions.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of removable mounts for a signal transmitter, which mounts have different arrays of transmitting elements thereon, allowing the user to easily change the multidirectional signal emitting characteristics of the transmitting device.